


TOUCH

by orphan_account



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: A little angst, Car Accidents, Concerts, Fortune Telling, Friendship with subtle flirting from time to time but you know, Mention of Death, markhyuck, mention of illness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 20:42:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17169044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: markhyuck au where hyuck's the best fortune teller in town and never makes any mistakes. one day he sees this one boy's fate but can't bring himself to disclose the awful truth. instead, he'll try his best to change the future.





	TOUCH

**Author's Note:**

> a work in progress that'll i probably post in two or three parts  
> the tags are for the whole work more than just this one chapter.
> 
> \--
> 
> resolves mainly around a car accident so content warning for that and mentions of death throughout the fic
> 
> \--  
> enjoy ~

**Hyuck.**

Lee Donghyuck, Hyuck for short, was the most talented fortune teller in town. His predictions were always so precise and reliable that it was a little scary. It even raised suspicion. People came to hear the truth about their lives but once given what they paid for, they found it weird, thought such a level of accuracy was abnormal. That’s why Donghyuck slowly started to incorporate lies in his predictions, to make it all seem more plausible. He also changed his name, just in case. For his clients, he was Haechan now.  
Hyuck was tapping his fingers on the table. He was nervous, impatient. Something big was coming, he could feel it in his bones. Hyuck was tapping his fingers on the table. His next client was late. And late clients had always annoyed him.

Minutes passed. The young man sat lazily, his feet on the table. He started to hum a song, sang a little, his voice soothing, as ever. Another minute passed. He sighed, ran his hand through his tangerine hair, took his phone and started to scroll through his social media feeds.  
Suddenly, someone rushed in the room, clumsily, almost knocking off the small table next to the door. “Oh my God, I am so late, I’m sorry”

-

Hyuck looked up. A black-haired boy was awkwardly standing there, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Uh, sorry. Band practice ended late and then I missed the bus. But you probably already know that.”

The young fortune teller laughed. “That’s not how it works, no. I don’t look at you and instantly know everything. But thanks for apologizing.” He paused, pointed at the chair in front of him. “Take a seat. Let’s get down to business.” He glanced at his notes “Mark, right? What brings you here?”

Mark sat down. He sighed. “That’s silly. I’ve been having bad dreams everyday recently. Don’t judge me, but they’re really freaking me out. Every morning, I wake up feeling like something bad’s gonna happen. And something, like, I would say, last week, I heard people talking about you. That one girl wanted to know if her mother was gonna get better soon, and you got the date she got out of the hospital right and all. So, I thought if you tell me things are gonna be alright, then I’ll feel better. Well, maybe.”

“And if your presentiments are right?”

“I’ll act against it”

“I know for a fact that people can’t act against their fates, so let’s hope you’re wrong about this whole ‘something bad is gonna happen’ thingy.”

Most of the time, when people only wanted general information, Hyuck used tarot cards to do his readings. For more serious matters, he also read lines of the palms, only as an excuse. Hyuck had always had this power: when touching someone’s hand, he could see their future very clearly. And this seemed like the type of situation where he would need to “read lines”.

“Uh. I might start by reading your hand’s lines. Don’t wanna freak you out, but I think we should start by looking at your life line.”

“Sure”, the other boy replied, offering his hands.

Everything went fast. In a few seconds, thousands of pictures went through Hyuck’s mind. Before he could even realize it, a tear was rolling down his cheek.  
“Is everything alright?” Mark asked, concerned.

“Uh. Yeah, sorry. Uh. Tears of relief, you know”, he awkwardly laughed. “Your life line seems ok, so I guess at least you’re not dying soon.”

Although he smiled, the young boy seemed lost, disoriented, nervous, on the verge of bursting into tears. “Let’s, uh, read cards, shall we?” 

Hyuck took a deep breath and carried on with the reading. “Seems like your bad feeling’s nothing too big. Maybe just something band related. Nothing to worry about. In the end, your bad dreams are still just… dreams.” 

He brightly smiled. Through the years, he had learned to conceal his feelings in front of his clients. “I’m sorry I’ve got nothing much to say. Anything you want to know, to make it worth your money?”

“Nah. That’s already great. Thanks a lot.”

The young man stood up, paid the consultation and left, thanking Hyuck again.

And Hyuck stood there. Shaking.

\--

Hyuck could not focus all day, barely listening to his last clients.  
The next one wanted to know if they were making the right choices regarding their professional career.  
Hyuck drew a few cards from his deck but his mind went blank as to what their meanings were. He started to panic, overwhelmed by what had just happened. He quickly made up a meaning, hating himself for it right afterwards.

Some others simply wished to know how bright or dull their futures would be. Clients often shared their problems and deepest thoughts with the young fortune teller. Things they never dared ask anyone. Almost asking for advice. Hyuck usually was an amazing listener. But not today. He nodded to anything they said, not even paying attention. Still smiling nonetheless. Trying to bring as much comfort as he could.

The last client came to ask about their love life. Hyuck sighed, relieved that he would not have to touch anyone’s hands again today. He did not want anyone else’s future to unfold in his mind. He could not bear it anymore. Not after seeing what he had seen so clearly earlier. Not after feeling it so intensely. Not after finding out this one boy, Mark, would soon die because of him. 

\--  
_We’re gonna see each other again. When? How do I avoid him?_  
Hyuck was sitting on his bed, his legs crossed, his head resting in his hands.  
He tried to remember as much as he could. 

_Focus. How did it start? When did you two meet again?_

_Focus. Focus._

_I can’t remember. I’m not even sure I saw it. The vision started way later. When?_

_Focus._

_Focus._

He stood up. Made coffee. Drank three shots.

_What’s your most distant memory of it?_

The young boy started to remember. 

He saw them hanging out several times.

McDonalds. A street he didn’t know. Probably somewhere in Seoul.  
His own room, the one he was in right now. Reading books and playing games.  
That one night. In front of the cinema. Before a car tried to run him over and Mark pushed him to the side, receiving the impact instead.  
Mark’s hospital room. Hyuck, waiting for him to heal. Waiting and waiting again. In vain. 

\--

His own words played into Hyuck’s mind over and over.  
“I know for a fact that people can’t act against their fates.”  
He had already tried once. He knew some of his clients had too. What he predicted or saw always came true.  
Not befriending Mark couldn’t be that hard, it would be easy to always refuse hanging out with him.  
But would that be enough? Mark seemed like a nice guy and he was probably the type to try and save a complete stranger.  
He could choose to move away from the city, but he could not leave his sick mother behind.  
Hyuck took another shot of coffee.

 _First things first, was that person trying to run over me or was it an accident? Is there a way I can prevent this? Who on earth did I or am I going to offend that bad? I don’t know what to do. The first step still seems to be to avoid talking to Mark ever again. I’ll find a way to stop it all._  
\--

Months passed without Hyuck crossing Mark’s path. His stress slowly started to fade away. He slowly stopped constantly glancing around, ready to run away at the sight of the black-haired boy. He still avoided McDonalds and cinemas, just in case. He knew that was silly. 

The young fortune teller started to think he’ll just go with the flow. That maybe he dreamed this. That it would be okay. That there was nothing he could do anyways. That he could not spend his life worrying. Could he?

Hyuk truly needed to relax for an hour or two, though. He had decided the previous day how to spend his free time. And so, he entered a cat café.  
“One hot chocolate, please.”

He sat down, took his beige overcoat off. It was freezing outside. He gently petted a small calico cat. “You think you’re so cute, right?” he smiled. “Well, you are. Come here!” He gestured the cat to come on his knees.  
He spent some time there, doing nothing but drinking chocolate and softly stroking the cat.  
He looked outside through the window pane. There, was a black-haired boy in a black puffer jacket, blowing on his hands to warm them up, breathing out steam. He seemed to be waiting for someone. He typed something on his phone and looked around. His eyes suddenly met Hyuck’s. He smiled at the tangerine-haired boy.  
\--

“Hey, Haechan, what a coincidence! I was waiting for a friend. “

Hyuck was looking at him, speechless.

“Ah. Yeah. True. You probably don’t remember me. Why would you.” He paused. “I’m Mar-“

“Sorry” Hyuck curtly replied. “I’m not in the mood to talk to anyone today. You probably should go back outside, or your friend won’t see you.”

Mark, stayed silent a few seconds, taken aback.

“I- yeah of course, sorry, that was dumb of me. Have a good day.”

He awkwardly smiled and slowly walked away.

Once the boy outside, Hyuck let out the longest sigh. 

_Shit. He really does remember me._  
\--

Hyuck looked again. Mark was still outside, waiting. So, he stood up, patted the cat one last time, left money on the table and walked through the door.

“Mark.” he firmly said. “We need to talk. Can you cancel on your friend?”

Mark looked at him, bemused. “My friend’s actually right there, crossing the street.”

“I. Nevermind, then. Have a nice day.” He replied, turning around, ready to leave the boy.

Mark grabbed his arm. “Wait! What is it about?”

“Nothing important.”

“It looked like it was” smiled Mark. “Doing anything tomorrow after 8?”

Hyuck shook his head.

“Perfect. McDonalds it is, then. I’ll call you at work to tell you the address.”

The young fortune teller sighed. Of course it had to be McDonalds. There we go.  
\--

“So, what did you want to tell me about?”

Mark had told Hyuck to join him at this one McDonalds near where he rehearsed with his band. The two of them were sitting at a table. It was already dark outside.

“Uh. How often do y’all practice? Do you play an instrument?” Hyuck asked shyly.

“Twice a week and I play the bass but I’m pretty sure that’s not what you wanted to ask me the other day when you almost made me cancel on my friend.” Mark grinned.

“Well. Hm. Do you still have bad dreams?”

“No, they’re completed gone. Why?”

The nightmares stopped?? Should I still tell him? Am I really making the right decision? What even am I doing here? 

Hyuck took a deep breath. “That day, when I read your hand lines, I lied. You’re gonna think I’m crazy but I have this – how should I put it – skill. When I touch someone’s hands I can see their future. And I saw you die. Trying to save me.”

Mark stared at the boy. A million things going through his head.

“I. I just. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know. I just couldn’t. I thought I could… save you somehow, but – “

“ – One cannot change his fate, right?”

“Yeah. But maybe, I thought maybe if I told you, you could just, like, not save me. I don’t even know. Avoid me. And be careful of cars.”

Mark got lost in his thoughts a few seconds.

“Did you see anything else? Do not dare lie this time.”

“I don’t know. We seemed… good friends. I think. We were at the cinema and this car almost ran me over.”

“Hm. And if you touch my hand again?”

“It usually only works once. But, we can try.” Hyuck sadly smiled.

\--

“So?”

“Nothing. Sorry.” He paused. “Damn this is all my fault. That one girl worried about her sick mother. I gave her precise details. I never do that anymore. But I wanted to give her hope. And I did. But you heard talk about how accurate my predictions were. And you met me. But now we should not meet again, and you should never try to save me, got it?”

“I think this my decision to take.” Mark replied. “You did what was right by telling me the truth. But honestly if I can’t escape my fate I might as well enjoy my last days, or months, or whatever time I have left, as much as I can. And I’d love to be your friend, Haechan.”

“Hyuck. My name’s Lee Donghyuck. See how untrustworthy I am? You know nothing about me. I’m not good for you Mark, I should leave now. Stay safe.” 

The boy started to stand up.

“Let’s make a deal, then. You leave now, and I won’t try to contact you ever anymore. But if our paths accidentally cross again, please accept that what you see always come true and that we will become friends anyways.”

“Please, no.”

“Let me make the most of the time I have left, Hyuck.”

“Fuck.” Hyuck said, angry at himself, angry at Mark, angry at the world. “Fine.” 

And he offered his hand to seal the deal.

\---

Hyuck spent the next few days barely going out for things that weren’t work and visiting his mother.

Somehow, he missed Mark. Both the one he had met and the one from his vision. Even with the horrible circumstances that linked them, Mark’s smile still managed to be the most soothing thing he’d never seen. He wasn’t sure how he became so attached to the boy, but it didn’t matter anyways: he needed not to see him ever again. He liked Mark alive better than Mark having fun and somehow could not give up on trying to change his fate.

Hyuck’s consultations now came down to card readings. That’s what he had always loved the most anyways. He stopped telling people what their future was made of and focused on giving them advice. He also was a comforting presence to those who had no one else to talk to. Hyuck loved his job. However, as a result of the few changes he had brought to his way of working, less and less people came. And Hyuck really needed the money.

A girl, her hair long and dark, was facing him.

“So, I went to a concert yesterday and shortly talked to the bassist afterwards. His name is Mark Lee and I think I’m kinda into him. But I’m shy and I wanna know if I’ve got my chances or if I’ll make a fool of myself.” 

“Maybe you shouldn’t get too attached” Hyuck instantly replied.

She raised an eyebrow. “You haven’t even read my cards. Do I look that hopeless?”

Hyuck waved his hand in panic “No, no. That’s not what I meant. I – I’ll read your cards sorry. What’s the name of the band?”

-  
In the evening, the young fortune teller went back home, googled “The 7th sense live performance” and watched a few videos while eating instant noodles. _Mark seems to be doing great with his band. I wish I could go to one of his shows, maybe he wouldn’t notice. But that’s too reckless and that’d be stupid of me._ He sighed, closed his computer, threw away his cup and went to sleep

**Mark.**

Mark left band practice before everyone else. He had this essay due next week that he wanted to hand in early. 

He crossed the road, carefully. 

It had been two months since he last saw Hyuck and he started to think maybe the boy was right: they’ll never meet again. He didn’t know what to believe. How did I believe this whole I-Can-See-The-Future thingy anyways? I mean, yes, he’s a great fortune teller but this whole thing’s too much. Too bad though, he was cute. He was trying to focus on present time, enjoying life, not letting something that might not be true get too overwhelming. Still, he was wary of cars. 

Mark worked late. As he wrote the last to his essay, his phone ringed. 

_Hey! Are you free tomorrow? We could go to for a drink or sthg._

It was that one girl Mark had talked to at a concert of his. With time they had become acquaintances and although Mark did not mind spending time with her, he did not wish for more.

_Yes, sure. We can meet around 4 :)_

 

\--

“You know, it’s funny, when we first met I was so into you. Now I realize we would not match. “

“Not gonna lie, and no offence, but I’m kinda relieved you think so too.”

“You know, I even went to see a fortune teller…”

Mark laughed. “You what now?”

She joined him in his laughter. “I KNOW! It’s so silly. But yeah, his name’s Haechan or something and he was like ‘uh nah you shouldn’t force things and you better forget about him’ but then you were the one to recognize me when we met again so I was like ‘Well, screw this!’”

Mark sadly smiled, recalling the first time he met the young boy, how embarrassed he had been to be late, how Hyuck had softly laughed at him.

“How is he doing?” he asked.

“Hm?”

“Oh. Uh. I went to see him too once, nothing too important, but he truly helped me. So, I was wondering how he was doing, if he seemed well.”

“Oh, well, I guess he did. A little tired maybe. He told me to give up on you before even reading my cards. That I shouldn’t get too attached, something like that.”

_He wasn’t lying, then. Mark thought. He really thinks I’m gonna die soon._

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading this far!!  
> i've already written parts of what comes next but i'll wait to have a little more before posting the next chapter, if anyone's interested.
> 
> have a good day


End file.
